Chapter 1
My husband, Ryker Pittman, and I went to an escape room with a haunted house theme.
My world shattered when I found my husband making out with an NPC dressed as a gorgeous female ghost. Then, right after we got out, he dropped the bomb. He wanted a divorce.
Furious, I demanded that the staff member tell me who that female ghost was.
The color drained from the staff member's face.
He stammered, "Are you kidding? We don't have any female staff here.
"And our theme is vampires, not some ghost in ancient dress."
He looked terrified. "You didn't encounter something real, did you?"
*****
The lobby AC was blasting, raising goosebumps on my skin, but the chill in my stomach ran deeper.
Tears welled, jaw tight, I glared at the staff member behind the counter.
I snapped, "Stop lying. I saw her clearly, a ghost in a long, old-style wedding gown, bare legs, fancy high heels.
"What kind of escape room is this? Total bait and switch. Are you running some shady business here?
"I'm calling the cops."
Half an hour earlier, Ryker and I entered this escape room called Shadow Manor.
We were in Avalon on vacation.
Visiting the escape room was a spur-of-the-moment idea. After dinner, Ryker wanted to go back to the hotel, but I insisted it was still early and we should explore.
We ended up in a quiet alley, and there it was.
When I suggested going in, Ryker wasn't into it.
"Seriously? Who looks for scares for fun?" he muttered.
He'd never been into this stuff. Inside, he was totally checked out, scrolling through his phone instead of solving puzzles or paying attention to the scenes.
We were walking down a narrow hall when a skeleton dropped suddenly from above.
It looked terrifyingly real, every bone detailed, empty eye sockets staring into nothing, jaw slightly moving with a soft clicking sound.
I screamed and bolted without looking back.
I ran until my lungs burned, finally stopping to lean against a cold wall, gasping.
My heart was pounding. That was when I realized Ryker wasn't with me. Where did he go?
Panic set in.
I'd never been brave. In escape rooms, I always needed someone with me. I was a scaredy cat who couldn't resist the thrill.
Now, separated from Ryker, there was no way I could continue. I just wanted to find him.
"Ryker, Ryker..." I called out, my voice shaky and on the verge of tears.
I kept my voice low, groping through the pitch-black space, bumping into things like I was trapped in a nightmare.
The NPCs always target girls wandering alone.
Along the way, I ran into at least three vampires. Some sat up suddenly from coffins, while others jumped out of shadows, baring pale fangs.
Each time, I was scared out of my wits, legs trembling so hard that I could barely stand.
I covered my mouth, terrified, hiding behind a coffin and holding my breath.
That was when I heard Ryker's voice.
It was low, tense, but with a strange excitement I'd never heard before.
"Who are you? What do you want from me?" he said, voice tight yet oddly thrilled.
My heart leapt with relief. I was about to stand and go to him.
But when I peeked out, my mind went blank.
Ryker had a stunning female ghost pinned to the wall.
She wore a traditional white wedding dress, wide sleeves flowing, long skirt pooling on the gray floor.
One pale, impossibly smooth leg stretched out from the fabric, curved perfectly, and now draped over Ryker's waist, much too intimate.
Ryker gripped her hips, his other hand pressed to the wall beside her head, caging her in his shadow.
He leaned close, forehead nearly touching hers, breathing heavily.
He cursed, "Damn...
"I felt you watching me the moment we walked in. Why are you so seductive?"
The white-dressed ghost let out a sultry laugh, her arms winding around Ryker's neck.
"Don't you like it?" Her voice was sweet, chilling, irresistibly magnetic.
"Hell yes! This is insane..." Ryker growled, crashing his lips onto hers.
"Ryker!" Unable to hold back, I stormed out from behind the coffin, driven by fury and heartbreak.